Steel tape.



J. Mol). BZZELL.

STEEL TAPE. APPLICATION FILED OUT. 2, 1911.

Patented Mar. 5, 1912.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

H m %Vu m H HAIIIIIII(Y|# 1IIIIIIIIIIIIIll;mhlllllllll jj nventorAttorneys J. M01). EZZELL.

STEEL TAPE.

APPLICATION FILED OUT. 2, 1011.

Patented Mar. 5, 1912.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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I Attorneys Witnesses l JOHN MCDONALD EZZELL, F ARDMORE, OKLAHOMA.

STEEL TAPE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 5,1912.

Application filed October 2, 1911. Serial No. 652,377.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN MCDONALD EzznLL, a citizen of the UnitedStates, re-

It is the object of the present invention to provide a tape consistingof a series of pivsiding at Ardmore, in the county of Carter and Stateof Oklahoma, have invented a new and useful Steel Tape, of which thefollowing is a specification.

otally connected sections, the tape being adapted to be manipulated atthe joints between said sections,

' altitude and the hypotenuse of a right tri angle, the tape beingadapted to be employed for laying out foundations, and for framingrafters and trusses.

A further object of the invention is to.

connect the segments ofa jointed tape, by a novel construction whereby;when the segments of the tape are disposed in angular relations, thegraduations upon the outer edge of the tape will coincide at the angle,

" whereby distance may be read along the outer edge of the tape aroundthe angle.

A further object of the invention is to provide a tape of this characterhaving links connecting its I constituent, pivoted parts,

whereby different angles may be laid oil".

invention herein disclosed can be made within the scope of what isclaimed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings.-Figure 1 shows, the tape disposed in theform of a triangle, the view being in plan; Fig. 2 is a plan of I 3 is aplan of another of the joints in the one of the joints in the tape:

tape; Fig. 4 isa plan of a seriesof short links which are interposed inthe tape, f0r the purpose of permitting the tape to be used to.set off arisein roof timber fram- Fig. 5 "is a" fragmental diagrammatic viewillustrating minor graduations of the tape ,which graduations cannot beaccurately shown upon Fig, 1, owing to the small scale upon whichFig. 1is drawn; and Fig. 6 is a s'ectionupon he line i i- -B of Fig. 2. 4

to form the base, the.

The tape 1 is preferably fashioned from steel and may be of any length,a length of from seventy-two to seventy-five feet being a convenientone. The tape is provided with a series of foot marks 2. As shown inFig. 5, the foot spaces may be divided into inches, as shown at 3, alongone edge, the inches being subdivided into halves, quarters, andeighths, as is common. That edge of the tape which is thus subdivided isindicated by the numeral 4. The other edge of the tape, denoted by thenumeral 6, is divided into tenths of a foot, as shown at 5, the tenthsbeing subdivided into hundredths. One edge of the tape, therefore. isadapted for the use of architects and mechanics, while the other edge ofthe tape is adapted for use by engineers. The tape may be graduated inany desired manner, the particular graduations employed being a matterof secondary consequence.

The zero end of the tape is denoted by the numeral 7 the graduationsreading continuously from the zero end 7 to the other end 8 of the tape.

The tape is broken up into a series of parts 9 and 10. A link 11 isprovided, and this link 11 is pivotally connected with the part 9-bymeans of a tubular rivet, indicated at 12. Intel-posed between the link11 and the part 9 is a washer 14. In the link 11 there is alongitudinally extended slot 15, in which moves a rivet 16, similar tothe rivet 12, the rivet 16 being secured in one end of the part 10. Atthis point it may be stated that all of the rivets used in the tape arepreferably of the sameconstruction, as described hereinbefore, inconnection with the rivet 12. The rivet 16 is located adjacent the endof the part 10, and inwardly from the rivet 16 the part 10 carriesanother rivet 17 engaged slidablv in a slot 18. fashioned longitudinallyin the part 9, adjacent the end of the part 9.

The construction above described is 10- 19, at the eighth foot mark uponthe tape, as indicated at 20 at the sixteenth foot mark upon the tape,and at the twenty-four foot mark upon the tape, as shown at the rightangle in the tape in Fig. 1. Each of the segments 9 of the tape, is.therefore. eight feet long.

The length of the slot 15 and the length cated, as indicated at of theslot 18 are such that when the rivet 16 is at the outer end of the slot15, the rivet 17 being at the inner end of the slot 18, a right anglewill be formed between the parts 9 and 10. Moreover, as Fig. 2 willclearly show, when the parts 9 and 10 are rectangularly disposed, thetwenty four foot mark as indicated by the numeral 21, will be alinedwith the outer edge 22 of the part 9. Moreover, the edge 23 of the part10 will be located one foot from the twenty-three foot mark upon thepart 9. The construction, therefore, is such that the dimensions may beread around the outer edge of the tape, when the parts of the tape areangu larly disposed. No allowance need be made, therefore, as would benecessary were the parts 10 and 9 merely pivotally connectedintermediate their edges.

From the twenty-four foot mark upon the tape to the end 8 of the tape,the tape is broken up into six foot lengths. Referring to Fig. 3, two ofthese six foot lengths are shown in part, and denoted by the referencecharacters 24 and 24*. At the end of the part 24 there is a rivet 25,adapted to move in a slot 26 in a link 27 the link 27 being connectedwith the part 24 by a rivet 28. Located in the part 24, is a rivet 29,adapted to move in a slot 30 in the part 24 The slots 26 and 30 are madesomewhat longer than the slots 15 and 18, so that a different angle maybe formed between the parts 24 and 24 from the angle formed between theparts 9 and 10. The showing of Fig. 3 is intended to illustrate broadly.that certain segments of the tape may be disposed accurately, at anglesother than a right angle. Noting the point at which the numeral 31 isapplied in Fig. 3, it will be observed that when the rivet 25 is at theend of the slot 26 in the link 27, and when the rivet 29 is at one endof the slot 30, not only will a certain, fixed angle be defined, but.moreover, the graduations upon the tape will coincide,

so that, as before, the dimensions may be read around the outer edge ofthe tape.

As will be readily understood from an inspection of Fig. 1, the jointshown in Fig. 3 is duplicated at the points indicated by the numerals 32in Fig. 1.

At some convenient point in the tape, preferably adjacent the forty footmark, a series of short links is interposed into the tape, as indicatedat 33 in Fig. 1. In Fig. 4, these links are shown, and denoted by thenumerals 34 and 35. the links 34 and 35 being connected by rivets 36.The links 34 and 35 are of different lengths, and may represent decinialand fractional parts of a foot, depending upon how the tape isgraduated.

The tape herein disclosed is of wide ap plication. 'It may be employed,for instance, in laying out rectangular foundations. In

Fig. l the tape is shown as folded into.

lengths having the respective values of twenty-four, eighteen andthirty, these values representing the sides of a right triangle.

Obviously other values which form the sides.

of a right triangle, may be set ofi' by the tape, so as to enable thetape to be employed to define a right triangle at the corner of afoundation or the like. When the tape is placed upon a woodensub-structure, a nail or the like may be inserted through any of therivets 12, to hold the same in place. When the tape is used upon a stoneor concrete foundation, the angles may be supported by weights.

When the device is employedfor framing roof timbers and trusses, thebase of the triangle will represent the run, the altitude of thetriangle will represent the rise, and the hypotenuse of the trianglewill represent the rafter lengths. A given rise, the length of which isnot an even number of feet, may be set ofi' by folding the lengths 34and 35 together, and when the run is known, the rafter lengths may beread off readily.

Recalling the fact that Fig. 3 serves to illustrate that many otherangles, other than a right angle may be set off, by altering the lengthsof the slots, it will be observed that gambrels, mansards, hips, andmany other constructions to be met with in joiner work. may readily belaid off and the lengths of the constituent parts of these constructionsbe determined by inspection.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed is 1. A tapeconsisting of primary and secondary parts, the primary part having aslot adjacent its ends; a link pivoted adjacent one end to the primarypart and provided with a slot; and spaced elements in the secondarypart, one of which elements rides in the slot of the link, and the otherof which elements rides in the slot of the primary part.

2. A tape consisting of primary parts and secondary parts, the primaryparts having slots therein; links pivotally connected with the primaryparts and provided with slots; and spaced elements in the primary parts,certain of said elements being adapted to ride in the slots of theprimary parts, and other of said elements being adapted to ride in theslots of the links; the slots being of different lengths, at successivepoints along the tape, whereby the primary and secondary parts will bedisposed at different angles, at such points, when the elements oflthesecondary parts engage the ends of the slots.

3. A tape consisting of primary and secondary parts, the primary partbeing provided with a slot; a link pivoted to the primary part andhaving a slot; and spaced elements in the secondary part, one of whichelements is adapted to ride in the slot of the link, the other of whichelements is adapted to ride in the slot of the primary my own, I havehereto aflixed my signature pairs; the tape dbeing provided fWlfh unitin the presence of two witnesses.

ra nations, an one ortion 0 t 1e ta e r r onsisting of a series 01?pivot-ally connect e d JOHN MGDONALD' 5 links, the links being of lesslength than the Witnesses:

graduation unit. M. F. WINFREY,

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as CHAS. VON WEISEL.

Copies of'this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of I'atents,

. Washington, I). O."

